IMF Director cancels visit to Pakistan upon PM Abbasi’s absence

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not really happy with the way Pakistan is performing financially and now it has been learnt that IMF’s top man for Middle East and Central Asia has also cancelled his trip to the country.

It has been learnt that Jihad Azour postponed his scheduled visit to Pakistan due to non-availability of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Upon arriving her, Azour was supposed to meet both the PM and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but now both the meetings have been cancelled.

It was reported that Azour was scheduled to join the post-programme monitoring talks which are currently going on between the IMF authorities and Pakistani officials to find out solutions to the problems of external sector and chronic circular debt.

These talks began on December 5 and now they will conclude before the scheduled date of December 14. Azour was supposed to join the policy dialogue from Monday.

“The visit of Azour has been postponed,” confirmed IMF’s Resident Representative in Islamabad Tokhir Mirzoev, adding that the postponement of the visit would not have any implications for the ongoing talks.

“The IMF’s director postponed his visit to Pakistan due to non-availability of PM Abbasi, who is leaving for Turkey to attend an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Countries,” verified Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail.

However, Ismail said that Azour would visit Pakistan in the future.

Azour had assumed the responsibilities of IMF director for Middle East and Central Asia in March this year. He replaced Pakistani-born Masood Ahmed who left the fund in October last year.